Novels

With the announcement of Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus taking place in the Nine Hells, it's worth looking back on how we got here. And for that, we can blame Dante Alighieri, whose apocalyptic vision of hell greatly influenced D&D. &nbsp...READ MORE

How much detail do you need to know to run a particular setting in FRPG? Some settings have about the detail level of comic books, some are more detailed such as Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels or Lord of the Rings(LOTR), some have settings as detailed as the Game of Thrones show. Can you explain your RPG setting in just six words? &nbsp...READ MORE

Netflix recently released an installment of its Black Mirror series titled "Bandersnatch" about a young programmer who gets a big break coding a video game in the 80s. The twist is that he's actually part of a choose-your-own-adventure-style branching-path game that Netflix viewers can play. The many possible outcomes explore player -- and character -- agency. Who is really in control? Please note that this article contains spoilers! &nbsp...READ MORE

Game Masters looking to run Christmas-themed one-shot games over the holidays need look no further than The Nightmare Before Christmas. Tim Burton's movie has become an iconic symbol of the holiday cycle in America, but its roots are much older...and considerably more violent. For that, we can thank L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
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I often compare fiction writing and publishing with game designing and publishing. They’re similar creative efforts in many ways, especially in tabletop and in the lower ends of video games where you can have one person creating the game. &nbsp...READ MORE

This is a broader question than just RPGs but the same arguments apply. It’s important for RPG designers, for consistency and to avoid immersion-breaking, but it’s probably not important to players. &nbsp...READ MORE

As a long-time Dungeons & Dragons player, I sometimes take for granted just how much tabletop role-playing games elevated fantasy artwork. Whether it was on the cover of D&D boxed sets or in the pages of Dragon Magazine, fantastically-detailed art seemed par for the course. But art tells stories: it shares the outlook of its creators, it expresses thematic differences in editions, and it tells us how to play. Art & Arcana’s greatest achievement is in reminding us why art matters to D&D. &nbsp...READ MORE

This week's crop of new releases aim to open your imagination to worlds of wonder and bring you adventures that will be Legendary! Stories and endeavors worthy of sagas to be told for generations! Or, in other words, here are a great crop of new games for you and your group to enjoy. Hope you spot something you can't wait to bring to your table! &nbsp...READ MORE

Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news! Lots of new D&D products coming over the next few weeks, a new edition of Savage Worlds, Tales from the Loop getting a sequel, and more! &nbsp...READ MORE

Dungeons & Dragons has a multitude of gaming and literary influences, but two that stand out are H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos and the sword-swinging barbarian character Conan by R.E. Howard. D&D brings the two together in a fashion that's become standard fantasy now, but was revolutionary for a role-playing game. &nbsp...READ MORE

Dungeons & Dragons draws on a rich mythology from the works of European authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and Michael Moorcock. And yet D&D was also influenced by American authors like Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, H.P. Lovecraft, and R.E. Howard. The end result is that D&D's tone sits somewhere between the two. &nbsp...READ MORE

Welcome back to this weeks rundown of the games hitting stores this week, as well as a look back at last weeks RPG PDF releases! The new edition of RuneQuest, as well as EN Publishing's own Modern Action RPG 'N.O.W.' came out in PDF last week, whilst we see a new sourcebook for the Mystic career path released for Star Wars: Force & Destiny in print! Check out the full list of board games, card games, RPGs, Wargames, Miniatures and collectible games below!
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Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news. Big new product announcements and reprints from Wizards of the Coast, an Old Spice-based character class, a Warhammer 40K café is coming soon, the game industry mourns the passing of an award-winning artist, and more.

Reviews

Wizards of the Coast is promoting Ghosts of Saltmarsh as an adventure book with a setting and rule supplements so since I already did a spoiler-free review of the book overall, let's take a closer look at the adventures it contains. While I avoid significant spoilers, be aware that broad information about each adventure is mentioned.

The Shadowrun Sixth World Beginner Box due for release at Origins this June will be our first look at the new edition of the now 30-year-old Shadowrun game system. This new edition promises to be a more streamlined experience for new players while still satisfying veterans, but does it live up to that promise?

Ghosts of Saltmarsh will make Greyhawk fans happy without losing newer D&D 5th Edition players. Billed as a supplement for nautical adventures, it's a mix of new rules for ships and sea travel, adventures and supplemental material for any coastal campaign.

Sequels can be a tricky thing to handle, especially when they promise a darker, edgier tone. Despite its much gloomier tone, however, Things from the Flood manages to avoid difficult-second-album syndrome with a game that neatly blends weird sci-fi mysteries and teenage drama, though sometimes it’s hard to tell which aspect is the most dangerous and unsettling.

Gangs kill and terrorize Victory City overwhelming law and order. Super villains run amok. Become a vigilante and strike back using violence to fight violence in the dark setting nicknamed Vigilante City.